Fontenelle Forest is hosting a special artist’s reception with Yegizaw “Yeggy” Michael on Tuesday, February 28th at the Fontenelle Forest Nature Center (located at 1111 Bellevue Blvd. N in Bellevue). This is an exciting chance to meet the artist behind the Whispering in Color exhibition, a series of thought-provoking paintings that examine the importance of our relationship with nature and the beauty of the natural world.

"We leave our imprint on the environment every second and it is evident the intersection between nature, animals, and human health are clear,” said Yeggy Michael. “Whispering in Color explores and examines the integral beauty of nature, its aesthetic and depicts the functional relationship between humans and nature."

Yeggy Michael was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from Eritrean parents. He studied art at the Addis Ababa School of Fine Arts and has held over 150 exhibitions in Africa, Europe, and North America. As the founder and director of “Artists Against AIDS”, a national campaign funded by the United Nations Fund for Population Activities and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS, Michael organized more than 30 interdisciplinary artists in Eritrea to help educate and build AIDS awareness. Recent exhibits include the Kennedy Museum of Art at Ohio University and the City of Seattle Municipal Building. In Seattle, he works with environmental organizations to bring art and nature together. His mediums include painting, mosaic, sculpture, and mural paintings.

The artist’s reception runs from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. on February 28th. The event is free for Fontenelle Forest members or with daily admission. The Whispering in Color exhibition is on display through March 3rd.

For more information on Yeggy Michael, visit his website at yeggystudio.com.